Are The Old Methods Out Of Date Or Being Forgotten?

[keithmoonhangover]

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

[Gazmac81]

i think most of the new methods are to help be strong while making the weight safely

but alot of muscle bound fighters are blowing out there arse after 7/8 rounds


wonder if calzaghe done much weights , strenght ect

seems to do the long runs and plenty sparring / pads / circuits

some people dont Do long runs and stick to sprints ect all this power and explosiveness talk

nothing wrong with the old Basic methods i would say but people in the know will know better than me for results in the ring

Boxers that get beat will always say there now going try new things and the last training didnt go well -aka Kell Brook , Amir Khan ect - praising a guys methods untill they get beat and then moving on

Fighting ability and staminia will see you through -

PS- i know brook didnt get beat but i mean when its been a struggle

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

[keithmoonhangover]

i think most of the new methods are to help be strong while making the weight safely

but alot of muscle bound fighters are blowing out there arse after 7/8 rounds


wonder if calzaghe done much weights , strenght ect

seems to do the long runs and plenty sparring / pads / circuits

some people dont Do long runs and stick to sprints ect all this power and explosiveness talk

nothing wrong with the old Basic methods i would say but people in the know will know better than me for results in the ring

Boxers that get beat will always say there now going try new things and the last training didnt go well -aka Kell Brook , Amir Khan ect - praising a guys methods untill they get beat and then moving on

Fighting ability and staminia will see you through -

PS- i know brook didnt get beat but i mean when its been a struggle

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

I look at Price blowing so hard in Thompson rematch. Would that have happened if Eddie Futch trained him?

[JimStone]

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

Archie Moore did weights, I've got a picture right here on my office wall that proves it. No fighter should lift for the sake of it. They should have an objective, or series of objectives, and train accordingly. Just because fighter x does y, it doesn't mean fighter z should also do y.

Anybody who goes into any sporting activity 'cold' is a muppet, the old timers got guys warm on instinct and experience, the science of today has proved they were thinking along the right lines.

Muscle length is predetermined by genetics.

Time is always moving on. My view (with all sports) is that specific/purposeful practice should take up the majority of available training time. All supplementary training should be individually prescribed depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual in question.

[lefty]

i think most of the new methods are to help be strong while making the weight safely

but alot of muscle bound fighters are blowing out there arse after 7/8 rounds


wonder if calzaghe done much weights , strenght ect

seems to do the long runs and plenty sparring / pads / circuits

some people dont Do long runs and stick to sprints ect all this power and explosiveness talk

nothing wrong with the old Basic methods i would say but people in the know will know better than me for results in the ring

Boxers that get beat will always say there now going try new things and the last training didnt go well -aka Kell Brook , Amir Khan ect - praising a guys methods untill they get beat and then moving on

Fighting ability and staminia will see you through -

PS- i know brook didnt get beat but i mean when its been a struggle

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

Looking at Calzaghe's physique I cant imagine he done too much weight lifting haha.

[jamesmcdonnell]

i think most of the new methods are to help be strong while making the weight safely

but alot of muscle bound fighters are blowing out there arse after 7/8 rounds


wonder if calzaghe done much weights , strenght ect

seems to do the long runs and plenty sparring / pads / circuits

some people dont Do long runs and stick to sprints ect all this power and explosiveness talk

nothing wrong with the old Basic methods i would say but people in the know will know better than me for results in the ring

Boxers that get beat will always say there now going try new things and the last training didnt go well -aka Kell Brook , Amir Khan ect - praising a guys methods untill they get beat and then moving on

Fighting ability and staminia will see you through -

PS- i know brook didnt get beat but i mean when its been a struggle

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

Looking at Calzaghe's physique I cant imagine he done too much weight lifting haha.

Enzo Calzaghe was very anti weight training - he was interested in developing stamina - Calzaghe did a lot of drills, lots of shadow boxing and bag work - increasing muscle mass, causes you to burn more oxygen - it's best to keep muscle mass as close to natural as possible, if you want stamina, or to make sure you compensate by increasing your cardiovascular capacity. That's why middle and long distance runners are never 'built' the extra muscle would compromise cardiovascular efficiency. Sprinters by contrast, don't need to have the efficiency, as their sport is largely anaerobic - there simply isn't time to develop that much oxygen debt in 40 odd seconds and under.

Calzaghe was apparently running his fastest sprint times not long before he retired, so was obviously very fit indeed, and I never once saw him looking really tired - even in the fight with Kessler, which was probably his toughest, he still had enough in the last 3rd of the fight to put it beyond doubt.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I've been a boxing fan since my dad made me watch The Thrilla In Manila on TV. Back then, legendary trainers said that something were an absolute no-no.

Weight lifting was a big no-no, but it seams that it's a lot more prevalent these days.

Angelo Dundee used to make sure his fighters were still warm at the opening bell, but I've seen guys standing still with no gown on for the whole of the national anthem lately.

Guys appear muscle bound, when trainers used to talk about 'long muscles'.

Have times moved on or are some of the very basics that the legendary trainers used, being ignored?

Archie Moore did weights, I've got a picture right here on my office wall that proves it. No fighter should lift for the sake of it. They should have an objective, or series of objectives, and train accordingly. Just because fighter x does y, it doesn't mean fighter z should also do y.

Anybody who goes into any sporting activity 'cold' is a muppet, the old timers got guys warm on instinct and experience, the science of today has proved they were thinking along the right lines.

Muscle length is predetermined by genetics.

Time is always moving on. My view (with all sports) is that specific/purposeful practice should take up the majority of available training time. All supplementary training should be individually prescribed depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual in question.

I think instinct is underrated - I used to have an old book by Bob Fitzsimmons on his training methods, he used to go for long walks which he would inersperse with springs up and down hills to build his stamina. He did weight training with small weights, and advocated movements which mimicked those in the ring - these are methods widely advocated today, many fighters now do sprints rather than mile after mile of roadwork, as it is easier on the knees, and produces far quicker results.

It's interesting that up until the 1950's doctor's were advising people to do short bursts of high intensity physical activity, and to limit their intake of carbohydrates in order to maintain a healthy weight, and not to 'ovderdo it.'

Now medical science has gone full circle and discovered that general low level physical activity such as walking, or even housework, coupled with the occasional intense bit of lifting and cardio, gets far better results than hours slogging down the gym.

[keithmoonhangover]

Enzo Calzaghe was very anti weight training - he was interested in developing stamina - Calzaghe did a lot of drills, lots of shadow boxing and bag work - increasing muscle mass, causes you to burn more oxygen - it's best to keep muscle mass as close to natural as possible, if you want stamina, or to make sure you compensate by increasing your cardiovascular capacity. That's why middle and long distance runners are never 'built' the extra muscle would compromise cardiovascular efficiency. Sprinters by contrast, don't need to have the efficiency, as their sport is largely anaerobic - there simply isn't time to develop that much oxygen debt in 40 odd seconds and under.

Calzaghe was apparently running his fastest sprint times not long before he retired, so was obviously very fit indeed, and I never once saw him looking really tired - even in the fight with Kessler, which was probably his toughest, he still had enough in the last 3rd of the fight to put it beyond doubt.

Great post.

[JimStone]

I think instinct is underrated...

You're 100% right. We've also got to remember that men have trained other men to fight in one form or another for millennia. Just because there isn't a comprehensive paper-trail, I think we'd all be being very disrespectful and naive if we were to conclude that our forefathers didn't have the gumption to do more of what worked and less of what didn't.